Financing the start of the school year in Congo-Kinshasa
In the DRC, school credit is mainly used to pay private school minerval, related charges, uniforms and supplies when term starts in September, through a bank advance or a COOPEC or microfinance loan, since free schooling covers only public primary education.
Free public primary schooling since 2019
Since the 2019 school year, primary education has been declared free in public and church-run state-approved schools in the DRC. Families still face the cost of uniforms, supplies and transport, as well as secondary school fees, which fall outside this measure.
Private schools in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi
In Gombe, Limete, Ngaliema or central Lubumbashi, private schools charge an annual minerval often expressed in dollars and payable each term. Schools following a foreign curriculum charge much higher amounts, out of reach without savings or financing.
Catholic and Protestant conventionné schools
A large share of Congolese schools are run by the Catholic, Protestant or Kimbanguist churches under an agreement with the state. At secondary level they collect running costs that parents must settle before school reports are handed over.
Banks' back-to-school advance
In August, several banks offer their salaried customers a dedicated advance, repayable over a few months and deducted from the salary paid into the account. The amount depends on net income, the number of children at school and other loans already running.
Back-to-school loans from COOPECs and MFIs
Savings cooperatives and microfinance institutions run school loan campaigns for parents who are traders in Goma, Bukavu or Kinshasa. How these institutions work is explained in the guide to Congolese microcredit for first-time borrowers.
Saving all year round for September
Many Congolese families prefer to save every month in a COOPEC, a likelemba or a mobile money wallet rather than borrow. This planned saving avoids the interest and arrangement fees of a loan taken out in a hurry at the last minute.
Paying fees by mobile money
Some schools and universities accept payment via M-Pesa, Orange Money or Airtel Money, or by bank deposit. Insisting on a receipt or keeping the confirmation message protects parents against disputes and against embezzlement by middlemen.
Uniforms, supplies and daily transport
Beyond the minerval, the new school year means blue and white uniforms, exercise books, textbooks and daily transport in cities like Kinshasa where journeys are long. These combined expenses often exceed a full month's salary for a household.
From school to university
Costs rise sharply after the state diploma, on entering university or a higher institute. The possible solutions for students are detailed on the page devoted to the student loan in the DRC and the scholarships available.
Negotiating a payment plan with the school
Many Congolese private schools accept payment of the minerval in termly or monthly instalments. Talking directly to the head before term starts can sometimes avoid the need for a loan, especially for families with several children.
Back to school in Brazzaville
Across the river, families in Brazzaville face the same back-to-school expenses, but in CFA francs. The guide to school loans in Congo-Brazzaville shows what neighbouring banks and microfinance institutions offer to parents.
Avoid stacking back-to-school debts
A bank advance, a COOPEC loan and a debt to a neighbour can all pile up in September. Families who combine these commitments then struggle to pay the second term, which is why it pays to budget for the whole school year.
Preparing back-to-school financing in the DRC
- Get a written list of fees from each school: minerval, related charges, uniforms and supplies.
- Calculate the annual total for all children, separating free public primary from fee-paying schools.
- Ask the school for a termly or monthly payment plan before applying for credit.
- Compare your bank's back-to-school advance with a school loan from a COOPEC or an MFI.
- Pay the school directly by bank or mobile money and keep all the receipts.
Back-to-school spending and school loan costs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| Item | Benchmark | What makes it vary |
|---|---|---|
| Private school minerval | Often in USD, payable each term | Commune, reputation, curriculum |
| Related charges | Reports, exams, activities | Level, public or private school |
| Uniforms and supplies | Annual purchase in Congolese francs | Number of children, market |
| Bank advance rate | Set by the bank | Term, salary, currency |
| MFI or COOPEC school loan | Higher rate, modest amounts | Institution, prior savings |
Documents to gather for a back-to-school loan in the DRC
- Identity document of the borrowing parent
- Payslips or proof of trading activity
- Invoice or official list of fees provided by the school
- Enrolment certificates for the children
- Bank account statements or COOPEC passbook
Parents' missteps at the start of the Congolese school year
- Borrowing for the first term's minerval without planning how to pay the other two terms of the year.
- Handing the minerval in cash to a middleman without a receipt, then seeing the child sent home for unpaid fees.
- Overlooking free public primary schooling and paying fees that are no longer due in those schools.
- Believing a WhatsApp advert for an instant school loan that demands application fees by mobile money.
- Combining a bank advance and a COOPEC loan for the same school year without checking repayment capacity.
Lenders to contact
- Advans Banque Congo: Microfinance bank of the Advans network in the Democratic Republic of Congo, financing micro, small and medium enterprises, notably in Greater Katanga.
- Rawbank: Congolese commercial bank offering banking services to individuals and professionals, with dedicated credit lines for financing micro, small and medium enterprises.
- Rawbank: Major Congolese commercial bank allowing customers to submit an online credit application, for individuals as well as businesses and organisations.
- Trust Merchant Bank (TMB): Congolese commercial bank with a presence across many provinces, active in lending to individuals, small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs.
Back to school and credit in Congo-Kinshasa
Does free education remove all school costs in the DRC?
No. It applies to primary education in public and church-run state-approved schools. Uniforms, supplies and transport remain the families' responsibility, as do secondary school fees and private school minerval, which may justify a school loan.
When should you ask your bank for a back-to-school advance?
Ideally in July or early August, before the rush of applications. Congolese banks often launch special offers at this time, with repayment spread over a few months and deducted from the salary paid into the account.
Can a trader parent with no salary get a school loan?
Yes, from a COOPEC or a microfinance institution that assesses the business. Prior savings or a solidarity group is often required. Amounts are modest and instalments come round more often than with a bank loan.
Can the minerval be paid in Congolese francs when it is set in dollars?
Most schools accept payment in Congolese francs at the day's rate. It is best to ask which rate is applied and to get a receipt showing both amounts, to avoid any later dispute over the balance still owed.